Who hasn’t found himself in the situation where his car doesn’t start one morning on the way to work? If that didn’t happen to you, at least you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you listen to an alternator noise on Chevrolet Equinox, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this content to support you find the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and operation of the alternator in your Chevrolet Equinox and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Chevrolet Equinox may be.
Role and alternator operation Chevrolet Equinox
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important component of your Chevrolet Equinox. Indeed, its goal is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission of recharging the battery once the vehicle is in motion, to provide power to the vehicle in motion and to allow you to always have a enough energy reserve to be able to restart the next time.
Alternator functioning
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The alternator functions on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning produces electricity. It is the engine itself that will give the energy requested by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Chevrolet Equinox engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Chevrolet Equinox and what are the causes?
I notice a knocking noise caused by the alternator of my Chevrolet Equinox
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Chevrolet Equinox is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Chevrolet Equinox will most of the time occur when your engine is idling, it can be connected to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. In many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to verify it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must look for a value between 12 and 14.7 volts, which means that your alternator is recharging your battery well. If the value is lower, the alternator of your Chevrolet Equinox is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the entire part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Chevrolet Equinox
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Chevrolet Equinox generates grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in most cases, we often notice by looking more closely that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this case, we encourage that you look for advice this content to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Chevrolet Equinox.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my Chevrolet Equinox
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Chevrolet Equinox is quite regular, in fact, it produces an audible sound when creating the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to verify that the battery indicator light on your dashboard does not appear, and that you do not have a voltage drop when your engine is running (headlight or dashboard light that jumps for example. If this noise is too loud, we encourage that you have a look this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Chevrolet Equinox.
